System and method for utilizing a tool-less rail in a rack

ABSTRACT

A rail system is described for use in a rack. The rail system comprises a rail having a self-locking mechanism to lock the rail to a rack. Additionally, the rail comprises a length adjustment mechanism that enables selective length adjustments based on the depth of the rack.

BACKGROUND

[0001] Racks are used for the mounting of multiple servers and often usefour vertical support members that define the corners of the rack. Railsare mounted in pairs between the front supports and the back supports. Aserver is mounted to each pair of rails by, for example, slides. Thepairs of rails can be placed at numerous vertical locations to receiveservers in a vertical arrangement.

[0002] Rails tend to be bulky items that are rather limited in theiradaptability for use in a variety of rack systems. For example, manyrails are fixed in length, and they cannot be used for the mounting ofcable management systems, such as cable arms. Additionally, many railsrequire additional components, such as fasteners, by which each rail isattached to the rack. Thus, the attachment and detachment of rails in arack system can be time consuming, and the rails have limitedadaptability with respect to their use in racks of differing depths andwith cable management systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] Certain embodiments of the invention will hereafter be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencenumerals denote like elements, and:

[0004]FIG. 1 is a side view of a rack system according to certainembodiments of the present invention;

[0005]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a rail that can beused in the rack system illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0006]FIG. 3 is isometric view of an embodiment of a first end of therail illustrated in FIG. 2;

[0007]FIG. 4 is an isometric inside view of an embodiment of a secondend of the rail illustrated in FIG. 2;

[0008]FIG. 5 is a side view of the rail illustrated in FIG. 2 in acontracted state; and

[0009]FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 5 with the rail in anexpanded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Referring generally to FIG. 1, a system 10 is illustrated asrepresentative of embodiments of the present invention. System 10comprises a rack 12, a plurality of rails 14 and electronic devices 16mounted on rails 14. Electronic devices 16 may comprise a variety ofdevices, including servers, computers, computer related equipment,telecommunications equipment and other electronic devices that may bemounted in rack 12. Additionally, system 10 may comprise cablemanagement systems 18 mounted to selected rails 14.

[0011] Rack 12 may be designed in a variety of configurations, dependingon the particular application and the size, type and utilization ofelectronic devices 16. By way of example, rack 12 may have a pair ofrear vertical supports 20 and a pair of corresponding front verticalsupports 22. A rail 14 may be coupled between each rear vertical support20 and corresponding front vertical support 22. Thus, at a given levelalong rack 12, a pair of rails 14 may be used to support a givenelectronic device 16.

[0012] Depending on the type of electronic device 16, cable managementsystem 18 may be coupled to a rear of at least one of the rails 14 usedto support that particular electronic device. An example of a cablemanagement system 18 comprises a cable arm used to generally maintaincables coupled to a given electronic device 16 at a location to the rearof the device. Additionally, slides (not shown) can be utilized withrails 14 to enable sliding motion of each electronic device 16. Thesliding motion facilitates movement of the device between a positionwithin rack 12 and an extended position for performing service or otheroperations on the device.

[0013] Referring generally to FIG. 2, an embodiment of one of the rails14 is illustrated. In this embodiment, rail 14 comprises a first end 24and a second end 26 disposed generally on an opposite longitudinal endof the rail from first end 24. First end 24 and second end 26 areconnected via a rail structure 28. By way of example, first end 24 maybe selectively coupled to one of the front vertical supports 22, andsecond end 26 may be coupled to the corresponding rear vertical support20 such that rail structure 28 extends between the front verticalsupport 22 and the rear vertical support 20.

[0014] Rail 14 further comprises a self-locking mechanism 30 thatautomatically locks rail 14 to vertical supports 20,22 when rail 14 isattached into rack 12. Self-locking mechanism 30 comprises at least oneself-lock 32. By way of example, the self-locking mechanism 30 maycomprise a pair of self-locks 32 with a self-lock 32 disposed at each ofthe first end 24 and the second end 26.

[0015] Although self-locks 32 may have various configurations, anembodiment of the self-lock 32 is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In thisembodiment, self-lock 32 comprises a pin 34 that is biased to extendthrough a rail end, e.g., first end 24 or second end 26. Each pin 34 ispositioned to engage rack 12 via a rack recess or an opening, such as aconventional square hole that may be formed in each vertical support ofrack 12.

[0016] Each pin 34 may be coupled to a slide bar 36 that is slidinglycoupled to rail structure 28. For example, each slide bar 36 may becaptively and slideably held by mounting pins 38 extending from railstructure 28. Mounting pins 38 may be slideably received in acorresponding slot 40 formed in each slide bar 36.

[0017] Additionally, each pin 34 may be biased towards a lock positionby a spring member 42, as illustrated in FIG. 3. By way of example,spring member 42 may be captured between a structural portion 44 ofslide bar 36 and rail structure 28 to move the slide bar 36 and pin 34to the position in which pin 34 extends through the rail end 24,26, asbest illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0018] A handle 46 may be coupled to slide bar 36 to facilitateretraction of pin 34 against the bias of spring 42 during detachment ofrail 14 from rack 12. However, during installation, the pin 34 mayautomatically be pushed to a retracted position by abutment with therack 12 until pin 34 passes into an appropriate opening in the verticalsupport. At this stage, spring 42 biases pin 34 to its extended, lockedposition, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0019] Although first end 24 and second end 26 may be formed in avariety of configurations, one example is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.As illustrated in FIG. 3, first end 24 may comprise a bracket 48 fromwhich engagement features 50 extend for engagement with rack 12. In theembodiment illustrated, a pair of engagement features 50 extend frombracket 48 in the form of downturned tabs 52 sized and positioned tomove through conventional rectangular rack holes for engagement with therack. However, a variety of other rack engagement features and bracketsmay be utilized depending on the desired design of the overall rack andrail system. Furthermore, bracket 48 may comprise an opening 54 throughwhich pin 34 extends.

[0020] Similarly, second end 26 comprises a bracket 56 connected to railstructure 28. Second end 26 further comprises an engagement feature 58that may comprise a pair of downturned tabs 60 similar to tabs 52 offirst end 24. Furthermore, bracket 56 may have an opening 62 throughwhich a self-locking pin 34 extends.

[0021] With further reference to FIG. 4, rail 14 may further comprise acable arm attachment bracket 64. Cable arm attachment bracket 64 isdesigned to permit connection of a cable management system 18 to rail 14rather than to one of the rear vertical supports 20 of rack 12. Bracket64 may be designed in a variety of configurations depending on thedesign of a corresponding cable management arm. However, the exampleillustrated in FIG. 4 comprises an external frame 66 that substantiallydefines an interior region 68 for slideably receiving a cable arm mountor other cable management system mounting feature.

[0022] Referring generally to FIGS. 5 and 6, rail 14 further comprises alength adjustment mechanism 70 that enables the extension andcontraction of rail 14 to accommodate racks of differing depths. Forexample, the longitudinal length of rail 14 may be adjusted between acontracted state, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and an extended state, asillustrated in FIG. 6. Although other length adjustment mechanism 70 maybe utilized, one embodiment comprises a slide bracket 72 slideablymounted on a slide base member 74. In this embodiment, slide bracket 72and slide base member 74 are combined into rail structure 28, and firstend 24 is affixed to slide base member 74 while second end 26 is affixedto slide bracket 72.

[0023] By way of example, slide bracket 72 may be slideably mounted toslide base member 74 via a plurality of pins 76 that extend through acorresponding groove 78. Pins 76 have oversized heads 80 that preventinadvertent separation of slide bracket 72 and slide base member 74. Asfirst end 24 and second end 26 are moved towards or away from oneanother, pins 76 translate along groove 78. By way of further example,groove 78 may be formed longitudinally along slide bracket 72, and pins76 may extend through groove 78 to slide base member 74 to which theyare connected.

[0024] Accordingly, each of the rails 14 may be tool-lessly attached toor detached from a variety of racks of differing depths. Theself-locking mechanism 30 enables the automatic locking of a given rail14 at a desired location within the rack 12, and handles 46 permit thesimple, tool-less unlocking and detachment of the rail from the rack.Furthermore, cable arm attachment bracket 64 enables the attachment of acable arm or other type of cable management system directly to a givenrail 14. It should be understood, however, that the embodimentsdescribed herein have been provided to enhance the understanding of thereader, but those embodiments should not be construed as limiting theinvention as set forth in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a rack; and a plurality ofrails that are tool-lessly attachable to and detachable from the rack,each rail comprising: a self-locking mechanism to lock the rail to itsrack; and a length adjustment mechanism to enable selective lengthadjustments based on the depth of the rack.
 2. The system as recited inclaim 1, wherein each rail further comprises a cable arm attachmentbracket.
 3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a cablearm coupled to at least one rail of its plurality of rails.
 4. Thesystem as recited in claim 1, further comprising an electronic devicemounted in the rack.
 5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein theself-locking mechanism comprises a biased pin.
 6. The system as recitedin claim 1, wherein the self-locking mechanism comprises a pair ofopposed, biased pins.
 7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein thelength adjustment mechanism comprises a slide bracket.
 8. The system asrecited in claim 7, wherein the slide bracket is slideably mounted on aplurality of pins.
 9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein eachrail further comprises at least one handle connected to the self-lockingmechanism to enable selective release of the rail from the rack.
 10. Asystem comprising: a rail having an end that is selectively extensibleand a self-lock disposed on the end.
 11. The system, as recited in claim10, wherein the rail further comprises a cable arm attachment bracket.12. The system, as recited in claim 10, wherein the rail furthercomprises a second self-lock.
 13. The system, as recited in claim 10,wherein the self-lock comprises a biased pin.
 14. The system, as recitedin claim 10, wherein the rail further comprises at least one handleconnected to the self-lock.
 15. A method, comprising: forming a railwith at least one extensible member to enable mounting of the rail inracks of differing depths; deploying a self-locking mechanism on therail with a self-lock on each opposed longitudinal end of the rail; andcoupling at least one handle to the self-lock to enable tool-lessdetachment of the rail from a rack.
 16. The method as recited in claim15, wherein deploying comprises spring biasing the self-lockingmechanism toward a locked position.
 17. The method as recited in claim15, wherein forming comprises forming the extensible member as a slidebracket.
 18. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprisingmounting the rail in a rack.
 19. A rail system comprising: means forproviding selective adjustment to the length of a rail; means forautomatically locking the rail in a rack; and means for tool-lesslyreleasing the rail from a rack.
 20. The rail system as recited in claim19, wherein the means for providing comprises a slide bracket.
 21. Therail system as recited in claim 19, wherein the means for automaticallylocking comprises a spring-biased pin.
 22. The rail system as recited inclaim 19, wherein the means for tool-lessly releasing comprises at leastone handle coupled to the spring-based pin.